


Deprived

by mahbecks



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Chill XV, Dirty Talk, Established Relationship, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fluff, Gags, Light Bondage, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Romance, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-07-31
Packaged: 2018-12-09 02:54:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11660133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mahbecks/pseuds/mahbecks
Summary: Ignis has had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.Gladio tries to make it a little better.





	Deprived

**Author's Note:**

  * For [banjkazfan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/banjkazfan/gifts).



> For banjkazfan, one of the kindest, sweetest, most genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting :) <3

To say that Ignis was having a bad day would have been an understatement.

This day, this terrible, no good, absolutely _rotten_ day had to be one of the worst in his recent memory. To start, neither of his alarms had gone off this morning, and he had been running late. Noctis hadn’t minded, taking the extra minutes of sleep where he could get them, but that had made it doubly hard to rouse him, and they’d missed their first appointment of the day. The minister of finance hadn’t seemed to care, but then again, Ignis had procured him a bottle of Insomnia’s finest whiskey - his personal favorite - as an apology, and so he was no doubt enjoying himself _very_ much right about now.

The day had only continued to go downhill from there. Ignis had had to skip lunch to retrieve the prince’s laundry from the dry-cleaners, and then he’d gotten the results of his annual performance review back - highest marks, as always, but no improvement in any direction, much to his chagrin. It had started to rain early that afternoon, and of course, Ignis had misplaced his umbrella. Following that, he’d gotten stuck in traffic attempting to pick Noctis and Prompto up from school, he’d hit his shin while sitting down at his desk, and a knife had slipped and sliced his finger while cutting up the vegetables Noctis would probably not deign to eat.

And to make matters even worse, it had been several days since he’d seen Gladiolus, the one person who could manage to soothe his irritation on days such as this.

It wasn’t Gladio’s fault, for sure. Their schedules were busy, and as Noctis approached his high school graduation, their responsibilities had only increased. They spoke as much as they could, resorting to text messages when necessary, and they made it a point to spend at least a few hours together during the week.

Not tonight, though.

Ignis sighed, looking down at the stacks of paperwork he wanted to have filled out before the morning. This would take him hours to do yet. Already, his back and fingers were aching; his last can of Ebony was wearing off too, a headache forming behind his eyelids from the caffeine withdrawal.

He stood, walking over to the kitchen and pulling a new can from the refrigerator. He drank half of it in one go, taking the rest back to his desk with him. Almost instantly, he felt a slight surge of energy, and he nodded to himself, ready to get back to work. There was no use lamenting his duties, after all. He’d known what the job had entailed when he’d agreed to the position.

Well.

As much as a seven year old _could_ have known what being a royal retainer would include.

The next few hours passed in a bit of a haze. Ignis would read a report, making brief annotations in the margins, and then set it to the side. Afterwards, he’d make a short summary for Noctis, highlighting the report’s key points and valuable take home information. Then it was on to the next one, and the next one, and the one after that.

At one point, he got up to use the bathroom. Another time, his pen ran out of ink and he had to go and grab another from the container in his briefcase.

But those were his only breaks, his focus laser-sharp as he inched his way to the bottom of the stack of papers. He had only one left when his phone started to ring, buzzing from its spot at the top corner of his desk.

Ignis stared at it for a moment, irritated at the interruption. But there were very few people who would see fit to call him at this time of night, and so he figured that he had probably answer it. Exhaling deeply through his nose, he reached for it, bringing it up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Specs?”

Noctis. He should have known.

“Yes, Noct? What is it?”

“Look, I’m sorry to bother you so late and all, but uh.. I kinda left my notebook at Gladio’s?”

“Your notebook.”

“Yeah, the one with all my history notes in it. Black, a little beat up?”

“When did you have a chance to leave it there?” Ignis asked, frowning. “You haven’t been there since-”

“Tuesday, yeah. But uh, we kinda ran into him at the arcade, and we went back to his place for pizza, and I guess I forgot to grab it when I left.”

“I see.” Ignis stood, grabbing his jacket and slinging it over his shoulders. “Give me half an hour, and I’ll see it returned to you.”

“Thanks,” Noctis breathed, relief clear in his voice. “I owe you one, Specs, really-”

“Not at all.”

“No, really, I know you’ve had a shit day, I hate making it worse.”

“It’s not -” Ignis huffed, the lie sticking on his lips even as he thought it. He tried again a moment later. “These things happen, Noct.”

Noct made a noncommittal noise, one that suggested he didn’t agree but didn’t want to argue.

“Half an hour,” Ignis reminded him, grabbing for his keys. “I’ll text you when I arrive.”

“‘Kay.”

The drive to Gladio’s apartment was short, and not only because there was hardly any traffic this late at night. Ignis had memorized all the routes to the building by heart; he knew that taking Broad Street was optimal during periods of high traffic, with its numerous lanes and more direct path. He also knew that taking Short, ironically the longer way, was better whenever he was in a hurry, the lights few and far between. It was the latter that he took now, turning into the apartment’s parking lot no more than ten minutes after leaving his own.

The windows were mostly dark when he pulled up, one lone lamp still shining in the room Ignis knew was Gladio’s bedroom. He was likely still awake, curled up with a book for a few chapters before he headed off to bed. Ignis hoped he was, at least. It would be nice to see him, if only for a few moments. Anything was better than nothing.  

He rapped on the door three times, taking a step back as he waited for Gladio to answer.

It wasn’t a long wait.

The door swung open slowly, a slightly disheveled Gladio grinning as he saw Ignis. “Iggy,” he murmured, reaching out and taking Ignis by the hand. “Hey.”

“Gladio,” Ignis said, nodding. He let himself be drawn inside, let Gladio embrace him and kick the door shut behind them. “I-”

“I missed you.”

Ignis’ words died on his lips as Gladio nuzzled his nose into Ignis’ hair, one strong hand slipping down to rest on Ignis’ hip. He sighed, melting into Gladio’s warmth, lips skimming along the exposed jut of Gladio’s collarbone, inhaling the scent of his skin - clean, like soap, with a faint, masculine undertone, and beneath that, like cinnamon, probably from something warm and spicy he’d had to drink before he’d headed to bed.

It was intoxicating, utterly, and Ignis pressed his face into the hollow of Gladio’s neck, letting it wash over him.

“I’ve missed you as well,” he admitted, fingers clenching in the loose t-shirt Gladio was wearing.

“How long’s it been? Since…”

“Four days,” Ignis replied. “It’s been four days.”

Gladio made a noise deep in his throat, halfway between a groan and a snort of disgust, and Ignis felt the thrum of it through his skin. “Too long,” Gladio muttered, arms tightening around Ignis just a little.

“Agreed.”

They stayed like that for a few moments, too content to move, simply breathing in the other’s presence. Eventually though, Ignis knew he had to get down to the reason for his sudden appearance, and he reluctantly pulled back.

“Much as I would love to say that I came here for pleasure, I regrettably do have business to attend to.”

“Yeah?”

“I’m here to retrieve Noctis’ history notebook. He said that he left it here earlier.”

“Oh yeah?” Gladio took Igis by the hand, grinning as he took a few steps backwards down the hallway towards his bedroom.

Ignis frowned, not quite having the heart to disentangle their fingers. “Gladio,” he huffed, “I haven’t the time to be distracted-”

“A notebook, you said?”

“Yes, a black one, worn around the right bottom corner.”

“Hmm, haven’t seen it.”

Ignis sighed, finally removing his hand and stopping dead in his tracks. “Gladio, I’m being serious,” he said. “I must get that notebook to Noct; it has his notes in it, and he needs it for a test next week.”

“Yeah, I know. That’s what he said when I took it back to him earlier.”

... _What?_

Gladio’s grin turned a bit sheepish as he reached out for Ignis once again. “I, uh, may have heard you were havin’ a bad day from Noct,” he admitted.

“Yes…”

“So I might have asked him to do me a favor and get you to come over here.”

Ignis blinked, quickly processing this new information. “It was a ruse?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah.”

“Noctis isn’t-” Ignis broke off, his phone vibrating in his pocket. He reached for it, opening the text message he’d just received, sighing when he saw the message and its contents.

**10:46 p.m. <Noctis> hey. I figure you’ve gotta be at Gladio’s by now. sorry not sorry, Specs. **

“That Noct?”

“Yes.” Ignis held the phone out, showing Gladio the message. Gladio eyed it and chuckled, taking the phone from Ignis’ hands and putting it on a nearby table, face down so that Ignis couldn’t see the screen. Ignis frowned, reaching for it. “I need that, Gladio, in case someone calls-”

“No.”

Ignis balked. “Excuse me?”

“You can check it later if you want,” Gladio said, moving so that he was standing behind Ignis. He put a hand on his back, gently pushing him down the hall, removing his jacket while he was at it. “But for now, no phone.”

“Gladio-”

“ _Ignis._ ”

Ignis snapped his mouth shut, allowing himself to be ushered into the bedroom. Gladio rarely used his full name, reserving it for when he wanted to get a point across. That he was using it now…

A shiver of anticipation raced up Ignis’ spine, goosebumps breaking out across his skin.

Gladio steered him straight to the bed, putting a hand on his shoulder and urging him to sit. Ignis did so, hands fisted on his thighs, looking up expectantly. He watched, barely patient, as Gladio moved about the room, gathering up a few things and bringing them to the nightstand. Ignis’ breath hitched with each new addition, eyes widening - rope, a length of silk, a blindfold… it was to be that kind of night, was it? Arousal hit him, hard, and he felt his cock stir to life in his pants. He shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, and a light groan escaped his lips as the motion increased the pressure on his length.

Gladio didn’t miss the noise, eyeing Ignis in a way that could only be described as hungry.

“Something wrong?” he asked. With one bare foot, he forced Ignis’ thighs apart, coming to stand in between them. Ignis was forced to crane his neck back to keep his eyes on Gladio’s face - which was probably the point, he thought, as Gladio raised a finger and trailed it down the side of Ignis’ exposed neck.

“No,” Ignis breathed, swallowing.

Gladio nodded. “Good,” he said, thumbing Ignis’ lower lip. “Let me do the work tonight, Iggy. Lemme help you get rid of some of that tension.”

“Just being here has helped with that,” Ignis admitted. And it had - being with Gladio was something like basking in the sun after a long week of being indoors during winter. There was an energy to him, something palpable and strong, that soothed Ignis’ spirits. It wasn’t anything he said, or anything that he did.

It was simply him. Gladio.

Gladio grinned at his admission, but said nothing, forcing his thumb into Ignis’ mouth. Ignis met it with his lips, drew it inside his mouth with his tongue. He gently sucked on it, biting down on the knuckle, gaze locked on Gladio’s face. His amber eyes had gone dark with desire, lips slightly parted, breath coming in short, barely perceptible pants.

“Yeah?” he asked, pushing the digit deeper. Ignis took it, licking at it with the flat of tongue, then twining it around the finger and sucking. He relished the soft moan Gladio made, giving the thumb one last bit of attention and then pushing it out of his mouth.

“Much better.”

“Glad to hear it. But I think I can do better than that.”

Ignis tensed, anticipation making his heartbeat thrum.

Gladio removed his hand, taking a step back and drawing off his t-shirt. He let it fall to the floor rather carelessly, eyes still fixed on Ignis. “Lie back,” he ordered. Ignis obeyed, bringing a hand up to the buttons of his shirt, but Gladio reached out and batted it away. “No.” Ignis gave him an inquisitive look, and Gladio smirked. “I wanna do that part.”

True to his word, Gladio leaned forward, resting one knee between Ignis’ thighs as he popped the first button through its hole. He moved tortuously slowly, hands lingering on each bit of flesh that his fingers revealed, and by the time he’d reached the last one, Ignis was panting, skin overheated and flushed. He shrugged out of the shirt as soon as he was able, pushing it off the side of the bed, and then a big hand was holding him down, keeping him from moving as a hot mouth suddenly began to glide along the planes of his chest.

Relentless, Gladio paid every bit of his torso some attention, kissing along his ribcage, licking at his hip bones, jutting sharply out of his pants, which were riding low on his frame. Gladio’s doing, no doubt, the hand that wasn’t holding Ignis in place skimming over his belt, toying with the buckle. Ignis wished he would take it off already, bucking his hips up to try and urge Gladio onward. But Gladio just chuckled, moving his hand away from Ignis’ pants to instead toy with one of his nipples, teasing it to hardness.

“Gladio-” Ignis huffed, “Let me-”

“What?” Gladio asked, looking up. His eyes were hooded, dark, seemingly half-drunk on lust, and Ignis felt his mouth suddenly go dry. Gladio smirked at his silence. “Lost for words?” he asked, keeping eye contact as he bent forward, kissing the hollow at the base of Ignis’ throat.

Ignis cleared his throat. “I want you,” he murmured. He raised his hips again, not stopping until he could press his length against Gladio’s thigh. He sighed at the pressure, not able to resist rutting against Gladio a few times to increase the friction.

Gladio made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl, grabbing Ignis by the hands and pinning him to the bed. Ignis quickly discovered he couldn’t move, Gladio’s weight atop him implacable, and looked up, surprised at the intensity of the want written on Gladio’s face.

“You’re doing this wrong,” he murmured, moving Ignis’ arms so that he could hold them in one hand. With the other, he reached off to the side, grabbing something Ignis couldn’t see. His breath hitched in anticipation; would it be the rope? The gag? The blindfold? What was Gladio going to use on him first?

He let his eyes slip closed, not wanting to see what Gladio did next.

It was… thrilling, in a way, to lose control of the situation like this. There was so little of his life that wasn’t carefully controlled, scheduled down to the very minute of the day. To cede that authority to Gladio had been difficult at first, even though Ignis had always trusted him implicitly. To give someone power over him, no matter what kind of power it was, was both terrifying and exhilarating, all at once. Now, however, they’d discovered that they could channel that trepidation, that slight fear combined with heady arousal, into something powerful, something deep and intimate.

Something that could bring Ignis to his knees every time, boneless, utterly spent, and satiated. Something that would finally allow his ever restless mind to stop, giving him the peace of quiet thoughts.

Ignis inhaled sharply at the first touch of rope against his wrists. It was rough, enough that it would break his skin if he wasn’t careful. That was the point, of course - to keep him from moving while Gladio had his way with him. Not that he was likely to be able to move much anyway, if the tautness of the rope as Gladio tied him to the headboard was any indication.

“There,” Gladio said, sitting back on his haunches and admiring his handiwork.

He had stretched Ignis’ torso out, arms almost fully extended over his head, wrists touching from where he was bound. It wasn’t comfortable, and regardless of how gentle Gladio was, he would have to take pains to cover his wrists tomorrow.

Ignis didn’t care. All he could focus on what was Gladio’s gaze upon him, weighty and full of intent. He slunk up Ignis’ chest, hands trailing over pale skin gone flushed with desire, finally settling on Ignis’ jaw. “Be a good boy,” he murmured, “and don’t move.”

It was a difficult, nigh impossible command, especially when Gladio leaned forward and began kissing along the column of his throat, beard scratching at his skin. He wanted to turn his head, baring his throat, giving Gladio more access with which to maneuver - but that would be giving in, disobeying, and Ignis very much wanted to obey.

He was trembling with the effort of keeping still, a light sheen of sweat covering his skin. Between his legs, his cock was fully hard, his pants doing a poor job at concealing his arousal. Gods, but he wanted Gladio to touch him - not just there, but _anywhere._ He was hovering just out of reach, maddeningly refusing to move his hands from where they’d settled along Ignis’ neck.

Ignis huffed to show his displeasure, and Gladio stilled beside him. He had just enough time to ponder whether that had been a breach of the rules when something soft and slick was shoved into his mouth. Gladio stuffed it deep, so deep Ignis couldn’t close his jaw. Despite himself, Ignis fought back a gasp, heart pounding in his ears as his speech was taken from him. It was like this every time - that initial near-blinding stab of panic, followed by a surge of want left him groaning into the fabric, head thrown back against the pillows.

“You like that?” Gladio murmured, his lips at Ignis’ ear. “You like havin’ something in your mouth?”

Ignis nodded fervently, shivering when Gladio nipped at his neck.

“Something so big you can’t talk around it,” he continued, laving each spot his teeth worried. “Mmm, I bet you like that. You’ve got such a pretty mouth. Maybe if you’re lucky, I’ll fuck it later.”

Ignis couldn’t help it - he moved, hips rolling obscenely in the air, desperate for contact. A moan accompanied the movement, though the noise was greatly diminished by the fabric in his mouth. Gladio chuckled at his antics, throwing an arm over Ignis’ hips to keep him down. It was scant inches away from Ignis’ arousal, and he knew it well, grinning at the glare Ignis sent him.

“You look mad,” he muttered. “Or frustrated. Which is it, Iggy?”

_You damn well know which it is._

“Yeah, I know which. Might not be able to talk, but your eyes tell me all I need to know.”

From behind his back, Gladio whipped out the last of his accoutrements - a blindfold, Ignis saw, the one they’d carefully selected, the one that blocked out all traces of light. Gladio quickly tied it around his head, and Ignis exhaled deeply through his nose as the rest of his control - his sight, the one thing that would let him know what was going to come next - slipping away.

“See anything?”

Ignis waited a moment, and then shook his head. Beside him, Gladio shifted, the bed dipping underneath his weight.

“I didn’t think so.”

He quieted then, the only sound Ignis’ heartbeat, pounding in his temples. It was getting faster and faster, speeding up as the minutes ticked by and Gladio gave no sign as to what he was doing. Had he left the room? Was he just standing there, watching Ignis, staring at him as his cock slowly started leaking from the tip, making a dark spot in the front of his pants? The thought was more arousing than perhaps it should have been, and Ignis groaned, the sound amplified by the silence.

“Eager.”

Ignis jumped, the voice right at his ear, fighting every instinct that told him to face the sudden noise, to turn towards it. Gladio chuckled.

“Didn’t move. I’m impressed.”

Ignis flushed at the praise, keen at the thought he might be rewarded. Sure enough, Gladio slipped a hand down his chest, resting it on his belt buckle.

“Should I take this off?”

Ignis nodded emphatically, and Gladio obliged, the belt falling to the floor with a dull, metallic thud. A moment later, he crawled atop Ignis, his weight settling on Ignis’ hips, and Ignis nearly sobbed from the sudden contact, precisely where he needed it.

Gladio held him fast, his weight and musculature alike serving to force Ignis to keep still. Beneath him, Ignis was shaking, thighs burning with the strain, and above his head, his hands clenched into impotent fists. “Lie still,” Gladio murmured, splaying a hand across his belly. “Relax.”

Ignis tried, attempting to force him muscles into submission. It was difficult, taking him the space of several moments. But eventually he forced the tension away, body falling limp as his muscles loosened.

“Good boy,” Gladio crooned, rewarding Ignis by rolling his hips down. Ignis jerked, teeth clenching around the gag in his mouth, the only signs of how quickly his composure was slipping. He regained himself the next time Gladio rolled his hips though, the only sign of his near painful arousal the soft whimper that stuck in his throat.

“You’re so hot like this,” Gladio continued, hand moving down to grab at Ignis’ hip, holding him in place as he danced in his lap, forcing their cocks together. “All tied up, legs wide open for me… want me to take your pants off?”

_Gods, yes, please._

Ignis nodded.  

“Think you deserve that?”

Ignis hesitated, and then nodded again. Gladio chuckled, hooking his fingers into the belt loops of Ignis’ trousers and pulling. He sat up, allowing Ignis to raise his hips and kick the pants off, and then he was back atop Ignis, warm and heavy, and, Ignis suddenly realized, naked.

He groaned, wishing he could see it. Gladio was a sight to see even when fully clothed. When naked, cock hard and red between his thighs, skin shining with sweat, hair plastered to his neck, he was sheer perfection. Ignis could see it in his mind’s eye, could see the way Gladio’s eyes glimmered with barely contained love and amusement, the way his mouth would curve up into a wolfish grin.

It was almost as good as the real thing.

“Fuck, you’re hard,” Gladio said, snaking a hand down and palming Ignis through his underwear.

Eyes screwed shut in sudden pleasure, Ignis felt his toes curl as Gladio began to rub him through the fabric of his briefs, shuddering as he tried once more to stay still. It was a monumental effort on his part, breath coming in deep, quivering gasps, the urge to give in and buck up into that hand nearly overwhelming.

Nearly.

But Ignis was nothing if not practiced at restraint, and he held himself still, even as Gladio chuckled and began to increase the pressure, grasping Ignis and stroking just the way he liked.

“What should I do next, Iggy?” His fingers pulled at the hem of Ignis’ underwear, letting his erection spring free, and then he was palming the head of Ignis’ cock, thumb teasing the slit. “You’ve been so good tonight, so fucking good - so quiet, so still.” One more jerk and Ignis’ underwear was on the floor, no more barriers between them. “Should I suck your cock? You want me to do that, Iggy?” Gladio’s hand drifted lower, cupping Ignis’ balls, already tight with arousal, and then lower still, trailing along the sensitive skin that led to his entrance.

Ignis’ breath hitched, and he sensed more than saw Gladio smirk, like a predator sensing weakness in his prey.

“Or maybe you want me to fuck you,” he continued, pressing his knuckle against Ignis’ hole. “Maybe you want me to give it to you nice and hard. Would you like that, Iggy? Me, fuckin’ you so hard you feel it tomorrow?”

He groaned, cock twitching at the mere mention of having Gladio inside him. Yes, that was what he wanted. Yes, that was _exactly_ what he needed -

“Fuck,” Gladio breathed. “Okay.”

He moved, reaching for something, and the next thing Ignis knew, cool, slicked fingers were probing at his entrance, one pushing inside him with little ceremony. It was quickly joined by another, the slight burn of it eclipsed with pleasure as Gladio grabbed his cock with his other hand, timing his strokes with the thrusts of his finger. Gladio was brutally efficient, stretching him wide and then pressing in deep, just avoiding the spot he knew would drive Ignis wild.

When he added a third, Ignis quickly shook his head, trying to signal that he was ready. Gladio ignored him, pressing the pads of all three fingers deep within him, hitting his prostate right as he squeezed the base of his cock, preventing him from coming. Ignis gasped around the gag in his mouth, barely biting back a cry as the pleasure slowly coursed through him. He rocked up into Gladio’s hand, hips moving frantically of their own accord.

Gods, but he wanted to come, and he was so close, _right there,_ right on the cusp -

The fingers withdrew, leaving him mournfully empty. But it was merely for a moment, and then Gladio was pushing into him, and Ignis’ breath hitched in his throat, the sensation of being blissfully, wonderfully _full_ nearly overwhelming him.

Gladio waited only a cursory amount of time before he slid out and then pushed back in, pushing Ignis a few inches up the bed. Beneath him, the sheets rumpled and twisted, and above his head, he could feel the rope chafing against his wrists. It was good, _so_ good, the pleasure building from the base of his spine, stealing his breath from his lungs and the fight from his muscles.

Gladio was fucking him in earnest now, hips snapping forward with each powerful thrust. Between them, Ignis’ cock was leaking copiously, and Gladio took a hold of it as he worked, pumping Ignis to completion. Ignis nearly sobbed as the first waves of his orgasm crested, the waves becoming a surge when Gladio slammed into him particularly hard, nailing his prostate and driving him all the way into the headboard.

He screamed, though the gag made it sound like more like a wail, back arching off the bed as he finally found his release. Gladio worked him through it, murmuring little dirty words of praise and encouragement all the while. With his free hand, he ripped the gag away, allowing Ignis one deep, gasp of oxygen before crashing their lips together.

It was the first time they’d kissed all night, and Ignis could barely do more than mimic Gladio’s movements, his body utterly spent.

“Fucking hell, Iggy,” Gladio breathed, the motions of his hips gone erratic as he neared orgasm himself. “Fucking - _shit._ ” He groaned, thrusting into Ignis once, twice, three more times before coming, hips stuttering forward as climaxed.

Ignis wanted to hold him, wanted to gather him up in his arms and kiss him senseless. But he couldn’t, his arms still tethered, and his fingers twisted uselessly.

Gladio groaned, finally coming to a stop, lips slack against Ignis’ jaw. “Fuck me,” he breathed.

“Now?” Ignis quipped, turning and nuzzling into the warm, sweat-drenched hair at the side of his face. “I’m afraid it may be a few minute before I’m ready for that.”

Gladio snorted, warm breath fanning Ignis’ cheek. “Smartass,” he breathed.

Ignis ignored that. “Release me?” he asked, jerking his chin upwards.

“Oh, yeah,” Gladio said, reaching a hand up and untying the knots that held Ignis to the bed. Ignis’ arms fell forward, slightly numb from the lack of blood flow, and he started massaging them together to regain the feeling.

“Here, let me,” Gladio said.

Ignis allowed it, humming in contentment as Gladio’s strong fingers massaged the blood back into his limbs. He let it go on longer than was necessary, feeling satiated and, for once in his life, indulgent. Let Gladio touch him. Let Gladio love him.

He was allowed this, this one comfort in the hard, difficult life he’d chosen.

He would ask for nothing else.

Gladio removed the blindfold without asking, and Ignis blinked at the sudden light, dim though it was. He shifted, curling towards Gladio, smiling at the delighted grin on his lover’s face.

“What has you smiling so?” he asked, palming Gladio’s cheek.

“You,” Gladio admitted. He leaned forward, kissing Ignis sweetly, and Ignis felt himself melting into the touch, letting himself be drawn into the warmth of Gladio’s embrace. It was entirely too short for his liking, and when Gladio drew back to speak again, he couldn’t help but mourn the contact.

 _Be patient,_ he admonished himself. _We have all night._

It wasn’t enough. It was never enough, would never _be_ enough.

“So, what d’ya think?” Gladio asked. “I make your day better? Any at all?”

Ignis blinked, and then burst out laughing. “You have to ask?”

“Huh. Guess not,” Gladio said, chuckling. “Still… glad I could help. Sorry your day sucked, Iggy.”

“It comes with the territory, I’m afraid,” Ignis replied. “But I appreciate your efforts.” He pressed a kiss to Gladio’s forehead, and then his nose, and then, finally his lips. “Truly, I do.”

Gladio sighed happily, throwing an arm over Ignis and tangling their legs together. “I love you,” he breathed. “So much.”

“I know,” Ignis said.

“And you know you can always talk to me about this kinda stuff, yeah? When you’re having a shit day?”

“Of course.”

“Text me next time, seriously. I’ll see what I can do to help.”

“This was nice,” Ignis said.

Gladio snorted. “Yeah, but I can’t exactly do _this_ in your office.” He paused, considering. “Or can I…?”

Ignis swatted him playfully. “Don’t you dare,” he said.

“I dunno, Iggy, if we rotated your desk a little, made it face away from the door-”

“Gladiolus Amicitia, we are _not_ going to have sex in my office. And that is that.”

“You’re no fun.”

“You know what else isn’t fun? Getting a demerit for public indecency in the workplace.”

“I guess.”

“You _guess_?”

Now it was Gladio’s turn to ignore him, reaching behind them to turn off the lamp. Plunged into darkness, Gladio cuddled in close, tucking his head beneath Ignis’ and resting his cheek against his collarbone.

“Night, Iggy.”

Ignis sighed, sensing that that was all he was going to get out of Gladio for the rest of the night. “Good night, Gladio,” he said. He waited until Gladio’s breaths had evened out, deepening as he drifted off to sleep, and turned, twining their bodies even closer together.

“I love you, too,” he murmured, whispering the words into Gladio’s hair.

Beneath him, Gladio sighed happily.

“More than you know."

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are most appreciated, if you feel like leaving one! They keep me going strong :)


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